Roger That: How Proper Police Training Can Reduce Incidents

Remember the previous Assurance blog regarding law enforcement liability? Well, it’s still a major topic in today’s society. In high-risk areas, police officers need to be prepared for any situation that may occur and how to handle it properly. With the increase in fatal incidents across the nation, the importance of continually reviewing policies and procedures in an ever-evolving landscape needs to be addressed with adequate police training.

We’d like to believe all police departments have proper policies and procedures in place for training, but incidents can still arise. Even some well-known departments engage in the use of excessive force which is in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. When these incidents occur, it’s important for the police department to review incidents diligently enough to determine if these said actions could have been avoided all together. Providing officers with the proper training they need to do their jobs safely, effectively and lawfully needs to be a priority.

Many cities across the nation, especially Chicago, have brought these increasing concerns of police training and individual rights to attention. An incident that develops in your community will be brought under the same microscope. When an incident involves use of force likely to cause death or great bodily harm, you must take necessary action to protect and serve.

To minimize risk in your police department, you should:

Continually review and modify procedure manuals

Document and keep up to date with training methods and requirements

Build and maintain trust between police and the public served

Have you recently updated your policies and procedures? Are you able to easily identify what policies were in place at the time of the incident? Current and new employees should be trained often and all incidents should be well documented. Creating policies and procedures is the best way to mitigate risk and keep the community and your team safe.

A member of the ‘A’ Team is ready to help you minimize risk. Chat with us!

Justin Maack is an Account Executive in the Public Entity & Education practice at Assurance. He has a tremendous appreciation for services provided by public institutions and has served alongside many officials in community organizations like Rotary International. Justin graduated from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. He earned the following designations: CPCU, CIC, ARM, AAI, AIS, ASLI, AU, CISR, and is a member of Rotary International and Society of Certified Insurance Counselors.